Sooner or later, McCain is going to have to try, you know, leading -- rather than responding with half-assed wordplay and too-clever by half attacks on Obama.
That's what this week has really shown us -- one man being presidential, and the other name slouching (and stumbling) towards inconsequence.

Broken record here, but John McCain spoke at the funeral of NFL Star turned Army Ranger Pat Tillman. At that time, Tillman's death was being described as being the result of a Taliban ambush. Turns out, not only was it a lie (Tillman was killed by his own troops), but that George Bush knew the truth the day of the funeral. When the Tillman family was told the truth five weeks later, what exactly did John McCain do on their behalf? Did he seek out justice for the family? Did he hold hearings to hold leadership accountable for the coverup? Or, did he say and do nothing to spare Bush further embarassment.

? @ 3:20 "why aren't more people asking McCain if HE still supports the invasion? Hasn't that proved to be an error in judgement. Someone should at least ask him on camera...." He said he would support it again, Jedreport did a 9 minute video on it

By helping to start the Iraq War, John McCain represents the Audacity of Truly Horrendous Military, Foreign policy and National Security Judgment. He was WRONG on getting into Iraq from DAY ONE, but now he wants you ONLY to look at "the surge." This is MCCAIN'S WAR,just as much as Bush's. MCCAIN is responsible for our being there in Iraq. He FAILED us!

McCain is a dangerous neocon, surrounded completely by dangerous neocons. He must NEVER be given power under ANY circumstances, or the neocons will destroy us, as they've tried so far unsuccessfully to do under BushCheneyRove.

The consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable. We may have occasion in our lifetime to once again
rise up in defense of our freedom, and pay the wages of war. But we ought not -- we will not -- travel down that
hellish path blindly. Nor should we allow those who would march off and pay the ultimate sacrifice, who would prove
the full measure of devotion with their blood, to make such an awful sacrifice in vain.
read

August 01, 2007--- Washington, DC////|
Remarks of Senator Obama: The War We Need to Win
speech&video

Good lord! Has McCain got anything to say for himself at all??? I've no problem with folks scrutinizing and even criticizing the guy I'll vote for but that's all McCain does. Sure Obama is not without issues, but you have to wonder why McCain spends all his time pointing the spotlight at Obama. Perhaps he's scared he may melt??

McCain is a small, petty, bitter old man. There is nothing presidential at all about this man anymore. He is not the candidate from 2000. I don't believe there is a limit to how low he would stoop to steal a vote or two.

McCain's campaign chant/slogan: SAME AS BUSH!!FOUR MORE YEARS!!!!SAME AS BUSH!!FOUR MORE YEARS!!!!SAME AS BUSH!!FOUR MORE YEARS!!!!
McCain on Iraq----one hand clapping or angry, petty man shakes fist at clouds. McCain is in the past. He will never advance.

Party of Hope vs Party of Hate and Fear----------McWhatever has been reduced to sniping, allowing Obama to dominate the political discussion. Does McSurge have any idea of how to run a successful campaign? McMeany is pathetic. GOP, is this all you got?

The original "Audacity of Hope" is what many call a 'turned phrase.' When you switch the object of the phrase 180-degrees, the whole thing breaks down. I bet McCain closed it wtih one if his trademark smirks/cackles.

Is it me, or do the McCain people seem to be running down a checklist and recycling just about every move the Clintons made during the primaries? "Change you can Xerox" ring any bells? It is so silly and toothless.

... Were voters forced to actually focus on Mr.
McCain?s response to our spiraling economic crisis at home, the prospect of his ascension to the Oval Office could
set off a panic that would make the IndyMac Bank bust in Pasadena look as merry as the Rose Bowl.
click herefor full article

Seriously???? McCain acts as if the Surge was a cost-free endeavor with clear cut results. The costs were high (close to 1100 US troops killed, many more wounded, and $200 billion spent) and the results mixed. Violence is down and AQI is marginalized- two incredible positives. But the reduced violence was intended to be a means to an end (the various sides coming together to allow Iraq to stand on its own) which has not happened. Even after all the efforts of the Surge, the situation is still "fragile and reversible" according to all the generals and Iran's influence is still very strong. The actual goal of the Surge has not been achieved, but it is still possible. Most importantly, the US military is still so bogged down in Iraq that it doesn't have the ability to increase troops and resources to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan So to say the Surge has ?worked? is premature at best.....There were strategies other than the Surge which may have achieved positive results without the high costs. McCain speaks as if the Surge was the ONLY strategy that would have helped the US efforts in Iraq. That is disingenuous and definitely not "straight talk."

McCain, always fighting the war--after everyone has gone home. Tell him that the world, Maliki, the Iraqis and some in his own party agrees with Barack Obama. McCain, please turn off the lights before you leave. Thanks.

Anyone care to join me in a contribution to the Obama campaign or to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee? Of course, there are national and congressional elections in 100 days - in November. Now is the time, the 100 days deadline, if you feel strongly about social justice, universal healthcare and the environment. https://dccc.org/

General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
today. As a member of the committee, Senator Obama directly questioned both men on the situation in Iraq, and he
spoke about the need to look beyond the Bush administration's current policy of open-ended military engagement.

seal border/go in the beginning with overwhelming force(early surge)/get guarantee of that before voting for the war/don't disband their military/don't leave weapons laying around/bribe early and often/treat citizens well(no Abu Ghrab)/limit looting or chaos/stay out of civil wars/no occupation of a Middle Eastern country that kicked the British out--ask Britain/research before invading.

I wouldnt be surprised if most of Obama's fan club here were paid bloggers. I mean, most of Obama's supporters are home everyday anyway. Easy access to computer..waiting for the mailman to deliver the welfare check.
-GET A JOB!!!!

The stupid McGolfCart Campaign is getting more pathetic each and every day. He literally has NOTHING positive to offer. Only lies, smears, and hate.
It will be refreshing to bring honor and integrity back to the oval office when Barack Hussein Obama is sworn in as POTUS next January.

If you take credit for the surge, you also have to take credit for the 4000 lives lost in a war that should have never happened. Regardless of a strategy 4 years later .. he also has to bare the same responsibility for going in to Iraq in the first place. I wish Barack would just come out and say the surge worked to help end a silly war. A war that lost 4000 soldiers for no apparent reason. If everyone can remember why the USA went into Iraq, it was to find weapons of mass destruction. There is a reason only a couple of allies would join you in Iraq. Most countries knew better. The surge is a ridiculous argument if McCain is saying it shows good judgement. I will take the 4000 soldiers lives back and go with the guy who had the best judgement.

Obama is a dangerous neolib, surrounded completely by dangerous neolibs. He must NEVER be given power under ANY circumstances, or the neolibs will destroy us, as they've tried so far unsuccessfully to do under ClintonReidPelosi.

Good for McCain. It's about time someone stood up to this hollow man's words. Hillary couldn't do it because she was part of the same party, and she paid for it. McCain should embarrass Obama at every chance he gets, because Obama actually IS embarrassing.

McCain wants you to forget that he got us into the Iraq mess in the first place with his terrible lapse in foreign policy/military judgment. He also wants you to forget that he REFUSES TO RELEASE 600 INTENTIONALLY HIDDEN PAGES OF HIS NAVY SERVICE RECORDS. (His hypocritical supporters, by the way, see absolutely nothing wrong with his despicable little cover-up. Interesting.)

Posted By: John McCain: Unfit to be President | July 25, 2008 at 04:10 PM

I would much rather hear McCain's jokes than hear ridiculous lines from the Messiah such as "We are the ones we've been waiting for" or "I come to you as a citizen of the world" or "I will remake the world" or "Berlin, it is OUR time" or "The urgency of Now"...are you zombies getting the picture yet? Obama's ego-driven rhetorical bullsh!t is nauseating to those of us who are not guzzling his koolaid....

The McCain campaign reached its tipping pint this week. It has spent the whole week being reactive and petty and with tons of bad photo-ops. Its really interesting to watch how they have been left behind, looking towards the past as the ship towards the future has set sail going forward. McCain should fire his staff for its incompetence this week or his staff should quit on him for being a daily petulant whiner with a one note message: noun, verb, the surge. Either way, they've been terrible this week - there are only 102 days left in the campaign and Obama and his team will only get stronger and stronger in the days and weeks going forward. It seems as McCain just can't keep up with the pace.

Partial transcript of the debate between Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on February 21, 2008 at the University of Texas in Austin.

BROWN: Senator Obama, in the same vein, you were also opposed to the surge from the beginning. Were you wrong?
OBAMA: Well, I think it is indisputable that we've seen violence reduced in Iraq. And that's a credit to our brave men and women in uniform.
In fact, you know, the 1st Cavalry, out of Fort Hood, played an enormous role in pushing back al Qaeda out of Baghdad.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And, you know, we honor their service.

But this is a tactical victory imposed upon a huge strategic blunder.

(LAUGHTER)
And I think that, when we're having a debate with John McCain, it is going to be much easier for the candidate who was opposed to the concept of invading Iraq in the first place to have a debate about the wisdom of that decision...
(APPLAUSE)
... than having to argue about the tactics subsequent to the decision.
(LAUGHTER)

Because, ultimately, that's what's at stake. Understand, not only have we been diverted from Afghanistan. We've been diverted from focusing on Latin America.
We contribute -- our entire foreign aid to Latin America is $2.7 billion, approximately what we spend in Iraq in a week.
OBAMA: And it is any surprise, then, that you've seen people like Hugo Chavez and countries like China move into the void, because we've been neglectful of that.

Iran is the single biggest strategic beneficiary of us having invaded Iraq, and that is something that I think John McCain has to come to terms with.
So that is a debate that I'm happy to have.
One last point I want to make on this, and that is, the incredible burden that has been placed on the American people, starting with military families, and the fact that we still are not doing right by our veterans, that we still don't honor their service, that there are still homeless veterans, that we still don't screen properly for post-traumatic stress disorder and make sure that they're getting mental services that they need, that we are still...
(APPLAUSE)
... having veterans in south Texas have to drive 250 miles to access a veterans hospital.
OBAMA: That's unacceptable. But we talked about the economy earlier, the fact that we're spending $12 billion every month in Iraq means that we can't engage in the kind of infrastructure improvements that are going to make us more competitive. It means that we can't deliver on the kinds of health care reforms that both Senator Clinton and I are looking for.
And that is also an argument that we have to have with John McCain because he has said that he is willing to have these troops over there for 100 years. The notion that we would sustain that kind of effort and neglect not only making us more secure here at home, more competitive here at home, allow our economy to sink. As John McCain says, he doesn't really understand the economy that well. It is clear from his embrace of George Bush's policies that he doesn't, and that's what I intend to change when I am president of the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
BROWN: All right. We've got to take another quick break. We've got a lot more ahead. Stay with us. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

The Surge worked. The noisy twittering, rationalizing, and spinning by Obama and his churlish brat followers is not working. America is waking up to a long and hard-fought victory in Iraq by our courageous military. Thank you Senator McCain for your steadfast support of the Surge, even when it was not politically expedient for you to do so and you stood nearly alone, even against members of your own party. You are the real man in this election.

Facinating.
I really do wish he would get his own slogans and sayings. All this silly word play is getting old.
Regardless - uh - why does McCain think keeping troops in Iraq, when Iraq's own government is wanting us to start moving to the door, why does McCain think this surge thing is going to help him?
Facinating.

So basically McSurge is saying that he deserves to be president because he suggested a surge.
Nothing else matters. So health care fix? Energy crisis? Infrastructure repair? Economy in the toilet? The McSurge answer to all these is? Altogether now A SURGE.
The real problem is that the man is just to flipping old for the job. It really is that simple.
This now, seriously to the McCain supporters and please try and be honest with yourself. The next time you see this man doing an interview on TV or anything else, try taking a disspationate look at himm and tell me honestly if you feel safe with his hand on the switch. When that 3am call, Hillary Clinton spoke of comes, do you think that he will wake up and be alert?
Be honest now.

McCain just told Wolf Blitzer that he "WON'T TELEGRAPH" his secret plan to capture Osama Bin Laden!
Of course Blitzer didn't have the guts to ask if he's let President Bush in on the secret plan and what Bush thought of it. Why hasn't Bush already implemented McCain's plan?

I'm tired of McCains nasty comments about Obama. Hopelessness is a McCain situation. he always makes negative comments in regard to Obamas character. He needs to rise above that crap and show some integrity.

Oh so McCain has a secret plan to get Osama Bin Laden and all because he wants to get elected President he is not sharing it with the powers that be so that the can implement it and get this monster where he belongs. This means that we can hold McCain responsible for every death caused by Bin Laden from here on until he is caught.
This from the same man who accuses Obama of willing to lose a war in order to get elected. Go figure.
We all know his plan though. It is? ALL TOGETHER NOW.....A SURGE.

How to spot a paid blogger: Any post asking you to "join me in donating to Obama's campaign" is a sure sign. Glad you identified yourself Obama08. I hope they're paying you well. Your gig is up in 4 months.

Any of you McCain apologists care YET to explain why McCain still refuses to release the 600 pages of his Navy service records that he's keeping hidden? Does ANY ONE OF YOU have the courage and intellectual honesty to confront that cover-up head on? We'll watch...

MARW, nice job posting a transcript of Obama not answerring the question he was asked. But Iv'e got news for all you Obamabots. The fact is that he is the same on the war as McCain and Bush and he is a neocon just like them. He plans to keep 60,000 to 80,000 troops there indefinetly. What happens in Iraq is not really going to be any different. If you vote for him hoping to end the war you will be disappointed. Sorry.

Has anyone noticed the Pentagon's response to a request for 10,000 more troops for Afghanistan? They have a "few hundred" troops available until next year. The Bush/McCain surge has left our military with zero flexibility. It turns out the surge didn't just send 30,000 more troops to Iraq (to confront 2,000 Al Qaeda in Iraq); it sent our LAST 30,000 available troops. Is McCain running for president of Iraq or USA? I sure don't feel safer knowing our entire military capability was wasted in Iraq while Bin Laden is still killing American soldiers in Afghanistan and still plotting more attacks on our (now poorly defended) homeland. We need a commander-in-chief who can balance our needs worldwide - not one obsessed with Iraq.

Thank you for that debate clip MARW. John McCain is melting down and I'm very sure he is going to lose his temper very soon. I know that even the GOP by now regrets choosing him. Sen. McCain is still fighting the Vietnam war in his mind and his lust of war and military-only solutions is disconcerting. This man is dangerous and is truly unfit for the Presidency.

It seems to me that McCan't is getting rather nasty. I mean, there's a different between saying, I supported the surge, my opponent didn't. But to use his own words, and turn them into a lame attack line. And to continue to do it, is very petty and weak in my opinion. That's like if Obama were to rip into McCain about him not remembering which countried are where, who borders who, etc. But then he would be villified for making fun of an old man.

Frank Rich should SUE John McCain for plagiarism. That was the title of an article(about the Clinton campaign) that Rich wrote during the Democratic primary.

February 24, 2008---
The Audacity of Hopelessness
By FRANK RICH
site
(Now take out the Clinton references since that primary is over....and insert McCain's and you might have this
July 20, 2008--
By FRANK RICH--Op-Ed Columnist
It's the Economic Stupidity, Stupid
site which is a bit more issue oriented.

Sen. McCain is evidently displeased with the Iraqis who audaciously hope we will leave their country. What the heck are they thinking? Why, after all, we beat them fair and square. Why should THEY decide when WE leave their country? What do they think they have over there in Iraq? Democracy?

Thank you Karl Rove, Steve Schmidt, etal.
And thank you, McNutcase, I'm McLovin' it.
It wasn't easy enough before to actually physically, viscerally HATE McCain. This week, however, has given me that gut feeling every time I see or hear him. What a despicable, desperate, craven man. He is more Bush-like by the day.

Actually, there is a good deal of hope in Iraq. Namely, the hope that our soldiers will stop occupying the country. If you stop and think about it, we Americans would not like to have our country occupied by soldiers of a foreign power, either. The Iraqis can handle the responsibility of self-governance, and it's time we let them. Disregarding their opinions would be audacious, and not in a good way.

Pssst...somebody wake-up McCain and tell him he's running for President of the US not Iraq. If you want to hire his campaign advisors, email them at trainwreck.com. Too bad, the gut used to make sense before the neocons got to him.

Let's see....One candidate is speaking to 200,000 people about bringing the world togeather and beating terrorism. The other is in a sausage house speaking to 25 people(half fell a sleep)about sausage and cream puffs.
Hmmmm, There's no question who should be the next President of The United States.
Obama did more yesterday in 30 minutes for America's image around the world than Bush or McSame have in the last 10 years.
PS I just love the nutcases who say people were there just to see a concert just like they said in Oregon. Hard to admit McSenile can't get 50 people to see him while, Obama gets hundreds of thousand. What will be your excuse when Obama speaks to 80,000 in denver,(with thousands more in the parking lot) that they were all waiting for next months Bronco's game?

Barack Obama needs to concede the SURGE was a success. He is giving MCcain too much traction on this issue. Obama other mistake was not leaving his entourage and making sure he visited the wounded soldiers in Germany.

McCain: Predicted a ?Brief, Successful War In Iraq.? In March 2003, just prior to the start of military operations in Iraq, McCain said on the floor of the Senate, ?The costs of these enterprises are not known with any degree of certainty at this time. Nor are the costs we will incur after what I believe, what I fervently, hope, will be a brief, successful war in Iraq, as we seek to establish the foundations for a peaceful, stable and democratizing Iraq.? McCain also added, ?I believe the war in Iraq can be concluded successfully in a relatively brief time.? (Congressional Record, 3/18/03)
McCain Proclaimed ?There?s No Doubt In My Mind?That We Will Be Welcomed As Liberators.? ?There's no doubt in my mind that once these people are gone that we will be welcomed as liberators,? McCain said on MSNBC?s Hardball in March 2003. (MSNBC, ?Hardball?, 3/24/03)
McCain: Iraq War Will Be ?Relatively Short.? During a March 2003 interview on NBC?s ?Meet the Press,? McCain said, ?I believe that this conflict is still going to be relatively short. I believe we?ve achieved significant goals and successes.? (NBC, ?Meet the Press,? 3/30/03)
McCain: End of Iraq War ?Very Much In Sight.? In interview on ABC?s Good Morning America, McCain was asked ?At what point will America be able to say the war was won?? McCain replied. ?We've still got the oil fields in the north that have to be secured. Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, I would imagine there'll be some die hards there that, but I think that we, it, it?s clear that the end is very much in sight, and today I think Americans should be very proud of their leadership, their technology?There are still some foreigners, Syrians and others hanging around. But it won?t be long. It will be a fairly short period of time, but this happens in wars. I?m confident that once they are confident the area is no longer a threat to the Marines and to or army troops that they?ll start imposing discipline. In the meantime, we?ll have a short period of chaos.? (ABC, ?Good Morning America?, 4/9/03)
McCain Said He Was ?Sure? The End Of Conflict In Iraq Was Near. During an appearing on ?Lou Dobbs Moneyline,? McCain was asked, ?Is it your judgment that we are near the end of this conflict?? McCain replied, ?Oh, I?m sure that?s true.? (CNN, ?Lou Dobbs Moneyline,? 4/10/03)
? SUMMER 2003: MCCAIN SAID THE ?MAJOR CONFLICT? WAS OVER IN IRAQ
McCain: ?The Major Conflict? Is Over. McCain said in 2003, ?I have said a long time that reconstruction of Iraq would be a long, long, difficult process, But the conflict, the major conflict is over ... The regime change is accomplished.? (Fox News, ?Your World with Neil Cavuto,? 6/11/03)
McCain Proclaimed ?Massive Victory? in Iraq and Credited Combat-Readiness for "Our Victory" in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom demonstrated to the world what we saw just 12 years ago. We went to war as the most combat-ready force in the world. The value of that readiness is clear. We won a massive victory in a few weeks, and we did so with very limited loss of American and allied lives. We were able to end aggression with minimum overall loss of life, and we were even able to greatly reduce the civilian casualties of Afghani and Iraqi citizens. . . . Our technology edge in Afghanistan and Iraq would have been meaningless if we did not have men and women trained to use it. Having the best weapons system platforms in the world would not have given us our victory if we had not had the right command and control facilities, maintenance capabilities, and munitions." (Congressional Record, 5/22/03)
McCain: The Mission Is ?Accomplished.? In an interview with Salon.com. McCain said, ?I just think -- as I said -- I think we will find weapons of mass destruction. Now, I think it's entirely appropriate now that regime change has been orchestrated -- and though the danger is certainly not over, the mission is ?accomplished? -- it's appropriate to have a hearing.? (Salon, 6/13/03)

Obama lovers are absolutely crazy. Obama goes to Germany and says we need to increase the fighting there... and that's OK with you... while Iraq we are supposed to pull out and leave for Syria and Iran to run over. Which is it? Is he a war monger or an idiot because there is no in between.

McSame and group just want to keep feeding there pockets with the american taxpayers money. Wonder if McSame caught up on his property tax in California? Where was Cindy McCain this week? Overseas signing off on the sale of Budwiser?

By using "the audacity of hopelessness" remark, John Mac wanted us to remember Jeremiah Wright. Barack said the title of his book was inspired from a Jeremiah Wright sermon. I think John Mac was brilliant to remind us of this bigoted Barack Obama preacher. Only an elder statesman could show such chivalry in language defense.

Posted By: B. HO knows how to PImp Out Everybody speeches and famous lines | July 25, 2008 at 09:11 PM

EGOBAMA can't even set aside his arrogance for one moment of his hollywood movie campaign to admit he was wrong about the surge. the only reason he could even visit Iraq was because of John McCain. EGOMBA is disgusting and should go back to being a Junior Senator or community organizer.

The reason McCain is keeping this at the center of his campaign is because he knows the issue is a winner. Americans don't like defeat, they are not quitters, and they have tremendous respect for their military. Obama is holding a couple of weak cards with the war and the issue of energy but he has to play them. He is trying to change the remarks he made last year but those darn You Tube videos keep popping up. He's more likely to promise to drill for oil in the White House front yard than to acknowledge the success of the surge and admit his mistake.

I am a very angry taxpayer. I feel that we have let this administration get by with way to much....For instance, let's take Iraq, for those that may have forgotten Sadam Husein never had nothing to do with planning the attack of 911 with Bin Laden, then there was the WMD which they found none, then there was those contractors (Haliburton included) that ripped off Millions from the american taxpayers with no recourse our administration let them do it, look at the mess we left in Iraq and I personally don't blame the people for being angry wouldn't you be angry if you had your home blasted away and after 6 years of war you still don't have electricity and water in a lot of places let alone a roof over your head. Yea the US really done a bang up job over there, and the ironic thing about it BUSH made sure ALL the contractor's were REPUBLICAN'S.

After reading nearly all of these postings, it is sadly clear that noone in this forum has yet to post their comments in a respectful, reasonable manner. Too many of these comments reflect an anger, a hatred against a man who in a rational society would be considered a good man. I do not support McCain nor Obama. Both candidates are seriously flawed. Especially when considering that one of these candidates essentially has no experience in government, has questionable personal and business relationships (like all of these politicians, it seems) and through his "speeches" is directing us down the path of socialism. Has a "world view" that is simply not supported by our Constitution. Wants a civilian army, controlled by the White House???, wants carbon footprint taxation, A World's poor tax to be paid by the United States citizenry, controlled by the United Nations and its benevolent member States. A Democrat member of Congress openly admitting on televison that she believes that they (politicians) should and will if possible take over and manage the Oil companies, the list goes on....The other is essentially a Democrat, not even a good one. He too favors policies that are clearly against America's interests. The list also goes on.
What I do is respect McCain for his service and clear sacrifice to his Country. Many of you posting here sound like whining kids, no knowledge of what is happening in this world, repeatedly chanting meaningless slogans, meaningless verbage from incomprehensible speeches. No one here that I have read so far has posted an original thought.
Hate and despise McCain..o.k. its your right. Please hate him or despise him for the right reasons.
Leave out the personal insults, God knows, none of us is perfect, I certainly am not.
He is older, He is experienced in the ways of a violent, hateful world, He knows the history of our Country like no other in either party. He is an American who lost much of his life in a prison camp in North Vietnam, none of us here would have survived an hour being a prisoner of the North Vietnamese. Posts in other forums, write gleefully of how McCain was a baby killer and why couldn't he have been tortured to death. Very Nasty. Guantanamo Bay is a resort when compared to what this man suffered. So many judgements and insults for a man who has yet to be elected as our President. So many other politicians with sins, crimes, unpunished by laws that apply to us, the average citizen, Deserve far more censure.
So, as for Obama?? a man who has nothing to show for the fourty plus years of his life that would make him a good candidate for the once great Democrat party. 143 days of being a Senator before running for President??? Yet he is just as flawed if not more so. I listen to and have read copies of his speeches..what does he say?? Even in Germany, Berlin, he paraphrased Reagan of all people? Moving the words around a bit? at least his handlers did. With McCain it is clear that he is not "handled" which is what I want in President..regardless of how much I disagree with 80+% of what he proposes.
My niece and her boyfriend told her mother that they will leave the Country if Obama is not elected.
Well, o.k. go. And yet, those who tell me that they are voting for Obama, not one tells me anything other than #1. It proves we are not racist if we elect the first Black President. #2. I am racist if I don't vote for him. #3. I am a facist if I don't vote for him. #4.
Don't I understand what great changes Obama could make to our Nation. I must add here, not one could define the changes Obama would make and get angry when I ask them to clarify "changes". #5. Europe loves him and they hate Republicans, rather a broad claim.
#6. this is my favorite..people like you shouldn't be allowed to vote. Ooooh. Imagine if I told some of these people this.
Any way my pool of voters comes from a health care professional group of physicians, nurses, all other health care workers, housekeeping, administrators throughout our facility, the 20+ groups where my nieces and nephews fall into and their friends. Teachers in elementary and Jr. Sr. High and some professors at Jr college and one University here in Miami.
Very sad. But I don't care how they vote. Just don't insult any of the candidates when stating a point of view.
So have fun, vote, if you don't choose to vote, don't complain. My niece, as above, chose not to vote George's first term and *****ed non-stop. I told her to get over it and make time to vote and do it. Its more important than anything else planned for that ONE DAY for God's sake.
Have fun.
Eeka

McCain has a point here. Leaving at that time would have been a disaster. At least now, there is a semblance of stability. TI may deteriorate. But with the proper use of diplomacy and threat of military, some gains may stay in place.

Yes, I seem to remember in 2003 McCain said that in 5 years, we'd have over 30,000 American casualties, over 100,000 dead Iraqi civilians, would have spent a half a trillion dollars, rising by $40,000 a second, and we'd still be losing 20 to 50 soldiers a month and have no exit strategy.
By golly, he was right. (snark)

The "surge" is working and "Flim Flam Obamaman" just can't bring himself to admit it because he has based his campaign on the fact that "he" said it wouldn't! He would have to admit that he really isn't the "anointed" one!